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Photography

Black and White (B&W) and absolutely no Colour!


April 12, 2022

When you decide to go and take some photographs do you ever go with the sole purpose of taking everything, and I mean everything, in monochrome? I bet you don’t because you see the picture on the back of your camera as colour or you think that by limiting yourself, you might miss something.

Well, I’m going to tell you to set your camera to black and white for your next visit somewhere and don’t turn it off.

Now I know that if you are shooting RAW, then all those images will be in colour when you load them onto your computer, and that’s okay because you’ll apply the camera monochrome setting in the profile option when you’re in Lightroom (or other editing software) and convert them all back; won’t you?!

I want you to try this because it’s a discipline in which you will start to see things only for their content and not the colour, much like only taking one lens out with you (because you do that as well occasionally, too, don’t you?!).

The other reason is that I think monochrome is fantastic and can bring a different perspective to your pictures and almost turn them into more traditional works of art.

Have a play with different styles of black and white in your editing software, and especially play with the curves as this will start to make you see all the possibilities; if you are using a RAW editor or Lightroom then play with the colour sliders as you will be able to manipulate specific colours within the picture and change the Luminance and Saturation, etc. which is great at making certain parts of your image pop or fade out for the viewer and letting them see something else within the picture.

I was recently filming at The Fold in Bransford, Worcester, and whilst this place normally screams for it to be photographed in colour (check out their website www.thefold.org.uk), I decided to have a quick wander and take a few photographies in black & white only.

All images taken on a Nikon Z fc with 28mm 2.8 SE

A black-and-white photo of a rustic house with a tiled roof, partially open door, patio chairs, leafless tree, and dense shrubs in the foreground. Sunlight creates sharp contrasts on the building.
Black and white photo of an old, rusted BMB Plowmate tractor seen from the front, with farm buildings and a road in the blurred background. The scene evokes a sense of rural decay and history.
Black and white photo of a rusty, vintage tractor in the foreground, partially seen from the side, with farm buildings, fencing, and bare trees blurred in the background.
Black and white photo of an old, metal farming plough displayed as a garden sculpture with small flowers, set in front of wooden fences and a large, arched barn in the background.
A black and white photo of an old, rusted tractor parked on soil beside a road, with a young tree staked nearby. Farm buildings and fences are visible in the background under a clear sky.
A black and white photo of an empty outdoor event space with tables, chairs, and flags hanging from the ceiling. The area is covered by a partial roof and appears to be set up for a gathering or market.
A large, weathered round metal object is mounted on a metal frame outside a brick building with a tiled roof. Tall plants grow nearby, and a window is visible to the left. The scene is in black and white.
A black and white photo of a large shed with climbing vines, piles of gravel, large sacks, a wheelbarrow, and scattered building materials outside on a sunny day. Shadows stretch across the ground.
Black and white photo of a rural landscape with fields, scattered trees, farm buildings, and stacks of materials. In the foreground, a potted plant sits on a wooden fence. The horizon shows a tree-lined ridge.
Two abstract, animal-like sculptures made of stacked bricks stand on a wet concrete surface outside a brick building with wooden doors and windows. Sunlight casts shadows; a hose and pallets are visible nearby.
Close-up of a large, weathered iron wheel with industrial machinery details, captured in black and white. A blurred car and road are visible in the background.
A black and white photo of a rustic building with wooden beams and a tiled roof, housing a café and therapy centre called The Fold. A leafless tree and a stone planter are visible in the courtyard.
A close-up, black-and-white photo of the front of an old BMB Plowmate tractor, with blurred sheds and fencing in the background and a clear sky above.
Close-up black and white photo of a weathered metal machinery part with embossed text, some of which reads S. HACKENSON and PEWAUKEE, WIS. Curved metal pieces frame the central panel.
A black and white photo of a rustic farmyard shows an old, weathered brick building with large wooden doors. A metal, antique farming machine with large wheels is positioned in the foreground on a concrete surface.
An old, rusted metal machine with a large wheel sits on a dirt patch under sunlight. Sparse tree saplings are planted nearby, and a faint shadow of the machine falls on the ground.
Black and white photo of an outdoor café area with empty tables and chairs, a closed umbrella, and a leafless tree in the foreground. In the background, people sit near a building labelled “Farm Shop”.
A rustic building with a tiled roof and glass entrance, featuring banners for a café and heritage centre. Bare tree branches are visible in the foreground under a clear sky.
A wooden sign for The Fold lists six walking trails, including The Lakeside Trail and The Railway Trail. The background features wooden fencing, trees, and clear sky. The photo is in black and white.
Two black signs in a shaded area read SUNDAY MARKET today and MARKET today 10AM–2PM with arrows pointing left. Empty chairs and bamboo walls are visible in the background. Black and white photo.
A black and white photo of a quiet rural street, with a person driving a vintage tractor away from the camera. Trees, old farm buildings, and houses line the road under a clear sky.
Black and white photo of an old, rusted tractor wheel in the foreground, with blurred fencing and structures in the background under a clear sky.
A black and white photo of an empty indoor space with a tented roof, strung triangular bunting hanging across the area, and corrugated metal walls. The scene appears quiet and unused.
Black and white photo of a rural landscape with trees, a small road, and a metal crash barrier in the foreground. There are parked vehicles, a river or pond, and distant rolling hills under a clear sky.
A black and white photo shows several polytunnels on a dirt lot, surrounded by tall trees and sparse vegetation under a clear sky.
A black-and-white photo of an old, rusty tractor parked on dirt near a road, with a small tree in the foreground and farm buildings in the background.
 




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